Brand: Matchbox

Matchbox is a brand of toy vehicles first produced in 1953. Mattel acquired the brand in 1997.

The name Matchbox came about because only toys smaller than a matchbox were allowed to be brought into British schools. The first Matchbox model was a green steamroller. The models were sold in small cardboard boxes designed to resemble matchboxes.

As early as 1956, Matchbox also began appealing to collectors with its “Models of Yesteryear” series. Featuring pre-war vintage cars in 1:43 scale, the series continued into the 1990s.